5 Ways to Cool Down Without AC in Hong Kong

Jun 16

2 minutes

The blog post has been auto-translated.

5 Ways to Cool Down Without AC in Hong Kong post illustrative image Hong Kong summers are often characterized by high temperatures and humidity. Running the air conditioner for long periods is not only power-consuming but also not environmentally friendly. Below are 5 'air-conditioner-free cooling' methods compiled, relying on common household items and simple operations to quickly lower the perceived temperature on stuffy days.

1. Fan × Evaporative Cooling

Operation: Quickly mop the floor with a wet mop, or place a basin of ice water/a sealed bag of ice in front of the fan
Principle: When water evaporates, it absorbs latent heat, and the fan then brings the low-temperature airflow to the surface of the human body, which can immediately reduce the temperature by 2–3 ℃
Note: If the indoor humidity is already higher than 80% (after rain, during the humid season), avoid adding more moisture

2. Eliminate Indoor Heat Sources

Turn off computers, game consoles, and set-top boxes that are on standby for long periods
Switch to LED cold light sources, which can significantly reduce heat
Turn off and unplug electric stoves and rice cookers immediately after cooking

3. Keep Ventilation

Before sunrise/when nighttime temperatures are low: Open windows diagonally + use a circulation fan to blow inward, introducing cooler outside air
When it's hotter outside during the day: Close windows and turn on the exhaust fan to draw out accumulated indoor heat, preventing hot air from flowing back in
If ventilation openings are insufficient, you can slightly open the main door and coordinate with the windows

4. Make good use of curtains

For west-facing or top-floor units in the hot summer: Install bamboo blinds, metal shutters, or sunshade nets outside the window to block direct radiant heat
Use high light-blocking and heat-insulating curtains; drawing the curtains before leaving home can make the indoor temperature 2–5 ℃ lower than "full-day sun exposure"

5. Humidity Control to Aid Cooling

In Hong Kong, the relative humidity in summer often exceeds 75%; the human body feels most comfortable when the humidity is below 60%.
Running a dehumidifier for 2–3 hours during the day to maintain humidity at 55–60% can make a 30 ℃ environment feel as if it's 2 ℃ cooler.